Heucherella plant named ‘HEUPIRE030’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Heucherella plant named ‘HEUPIRE030’, characterized by its upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; green and greyed green-colored leaves; early and freely flowering habit; red purple-colored flowers held above the foliar plane on dark brown-colored peduncles; resistance to Powdery Mildew; and good garden performance and winter hardiness.

Botanical designation: x Heucherella.

Cultivar denomination: ‘HEUPIRE030’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Heucherella plant, botanically known as x Heucherella and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘HEUPIRE030’.

The new Heucherella is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new long-flowering Heucherella plants that are winter hardy.

The new Heucherella plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Heuchera sanguine identified as code number 083-0063, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with Tiarella hybrid ‘Pink Skyrocket’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,382 as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Heucherella plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands in May, 2015.

Asexual reproduction of the new Heucherella plant by in vitro meristem culture in a controlled greenhouse environment in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands since September, 2016 has shown that the unique features of this new Heucherella plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Heucherella plant has not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘HEUPIRE030’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘HEUPIRE030’ as a new and distinct Heucherella plant:

-   -   1. Upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Green and greyed green-colored leaves.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Red purple-colored flowers held above the foliar plane on         dark brown-colored peduncles.     -   6. Resistance to Powdery Mildew.     -   7. Good garden performance and winter hardiness.

Plants of the new Heucherella differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Heucherella differ primarily from plants of the male parent, ‘Pink Skyrocket’, in flower color as plants of ‘Pink Skyrocket’ have pink and white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Heucherella can be compared to plants of x Heucherella ‘Dayglow Pink’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,164. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Heucherella differ primarily from plants of ‘Dayglow Pink’ in flower size and color as plants of ‘Dayglow Pink’ have smaller mauve pink-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Heucherella and ‘Dayglow Pink’ differ in leaf appearance as leaves of plants of the new Heucherella have a more distinct pattern than leaves of ‘Dayglow Pink’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Heucherella plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Heucherella plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘HEUPIRE030’ grown in a container.

The photographs at the top of the second sheet are close-up views of typical inflorescences of ‘HEUPIRE030’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical leaves of ‘HEUPIRE030’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the spring in 1.5-liter containers in an outdoor nursery in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Heucherella production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 6° C. to 20° C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: x Heucherella ‘HEUPIRE030’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Heuchera sanguine identified as             code number 083-0063, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Tiarella hybrid ‘Pink Skyrocket’,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,382. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By in vitro meristem culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 15 days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at             temperatures about 10° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 60 days             at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 70 days             at temperatures about 15° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             creamy white in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and             physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; basal rosette             plant habit with leaves developing from the base; upright             and uniformly mounded plant habit; overall shape, flatten             globular with inflorescences held above the foliar plane;             vigorous growth habit; moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 17.5             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 57.2             cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 73 cm. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves arranged in basal rosettes; simple.         -   Length.—About 10.3 cm.         -   Width.—About 10.1 cm.         -   Shape.—Broadly ovate; palmately lobed with three to five             lobes per leaf; sinuses shallow to medium in depth and             divergent.         -   Apex.—Broadly and bluntly acute.         -   Base.—Hastate, not imbricate.         -   Margin.—Crenate; undulate.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Sparsely             pubescent; matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Darker than 143A;             areas surrounding main veins, close to 200A. Developing             leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B. Fully expanded leaves,             upper surface: Close to 137A to 137B; interveinal areas,             close to 191A; areas surrounding main veins, darker than             147A; venation, close to 138A. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to between 138B and 147B; venation, close to             144B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 13.2 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Low, flexible. Texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Pubescent; glossy. Color, upper surface: Close to             146B and 197A. Color, lower surface: Close to 146B to 146C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single campanulate flowers             arranged on axillary compound racemes; freely flowering             habit, about 220 flowers per raceme and about 3,000 flowers             develop per plant during the flowering season; flowers face             mostly outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant; sweet, acidic.         -   Time of flowering.—Long flowering period, plants begin             flowering in the spring flower continuously until the autumn             in The Netherlands; plants begin flowering about twelve             weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about one week on             the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 33.9 cm.         -   Inflorescence width.—About 9.7 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 9 mm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 6 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Obovate. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte.             Color: Close to 58B.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five petals in a single             whorl. Length: About 4 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape:             Oblanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture and             luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte.             Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 73C to 73D.             When opening, lower surface: Close to 73D. Fully opened,             upper and lower surfaces: Lighter than 73D.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five sepals, fused.             Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Roughly             oblong. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster,             upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Texture and luster,             lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color:             When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 68A. Fully             opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 68B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 52.2 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect, primary peduncles:             About 25° from vertical. Aspect, lateral peduncles: About             45° from vertical. Texture and luster: Densely pubescent;             moderately glossy. Color: Close to between 200A and N200A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: About 30° from peduncle             axis. Texture and luster: Moderately to densely pubescent;             moderately glossy. Color: Close to 185B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Ten per             flower. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close             to 69D. Anther length: About 0.3 mm. Anther shape: Deltoid.             Anther color: Close to 4C. Amount of pollen: None observed.             Gynoecium: Pistil number: Two per flower. Pistil length:             About 4 mm. Style length: About 3.75 mm. Style color: Close             to N155D; proximally, close to 155A. Stigma diameter: About             0.2 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to             NN155D. Ovary color: Close to 155A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Heucherella; flowers are             sterile. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Heucherella have been     observed to be relatively resistant to Powdery Mildew (Sphaerotheca     macularis). Resistance to pests and other pathogens has not been     observed on plants of the new Heuchera grown under commercial     conditions to date. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Heucherella have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate high temperatures     about 35° C. and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through     9. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Heucherella plant named ‘HEUPIRE030’ as illustrated and described. 